Ooc
Quick FAQ Who do I contact for more information? Any Bandit really, but if you're looking for some names: *Sean Kelly (chief organiser) *Eleanor Dawkins *Clinton Shepherd What are the costuming requirements? An orange bandanna, worn prominently on your character. What is the general overview of the warband? A collection of thieves, cutthroats, vagabonds and rogues, the Bandits of the Black Talon search for what is not in their possession, and then seek to make it so. How do I join? You can contact either of those listed above (or any Bandit, really). Read the brief history below, as well as the 'YOUR STORY BEGINS' section; this doesn't have to be completed before joining the Bandits (as we're all constantly developing our characters), but it's something to think about. OOC goals: To be an antagonistic force in Swordcraft: There are some warbands doing a great job of this already, however there was an aspect of antagonism that wasn’t really being explored – namely, that staple of fantasy literature, the humble bandit. No tabletop campaign would be complete without at least a minor run-in with these scurrilous ne’er-do-wells. Further, the highwayman, dashing rogue and land pirate are all heroic tropes that were being explored in other warbands, but would benefit from even more support. The kind of antagonism offered by the bandits is quite different to those all-conquering forces of inevitability listed above: the bandits just want to get by in a harsh and cruel world (usually by removing the contents of your coin pouch). They’re not looking to hold thrones, large tracts of land or, most importantly, make decisions on behalf of others To allow players to be ‘themselves’: Many are drawn into banditry for reasons all their own. One of the founding tenants of the Talons is that no character type is really excluded from admission; the only thing a character needs is a burning desire to take something already owned by someone else, driven perhaps by need, habit, revenge, a sense of adventure, something else entirely or a combination of the former. Race really need not be an issue, nor should class or fighting style. The only costuming requirement is an orange bandana worn prominently in some fashion. This, of course, means that options are open: a human diplomat is just as welcome as a lizardfolk sell-sword, a demon assassin as possible as an undead merchant. Dwarves, fawns, fey, golems, elves, angels, goblins, orcs, beastkin, thieves, farmers, lords, soldiers, sailors, bakers, butchers, healers, listless wanderers – all have found themselves walking the path of the bandit at some point. To encourage roleplay in both it’s members and SC as a whole: This point needs to be prefaced with the statement that all players, those in the Bandits and SC as a whole, are at differing levels of roleplay ‘ability’; further, there is no ‘right way’ to roleplay. What the Bandits work toward is developing the roleplay culture of the game as a whole. In practical terms, all this means is that every Bandit has a character name which we use on the field for Friday night skirmishes. Characterisation is something that happens over time, and while you develop your character you’ll be expected to help in the development of others (this can be as simple as attempting an in character conversation with them if they ask, or calling out ‘dirty nobles’ as you hack down an Order straggler). If you choose to attend Quest, we’ll support your characterisation and choices and expect the same from you, not just for the Bandits but for all players. IC goals: Every character in the game will have their own motivations and goals, and the Bandits are no different. However, as an organisation, this is loosely what the Bandits are hoping to achieve: Freedom First and foremost, the Bandits prize freedom; this means that no one is telling you what to do or when to do it. Chains don’t have to be physical, and many Bandits were once slaves to taxes, tradition or circumstance. Of course, the Bandits have their own guidelines but no Bandit is forced to stay or punished for leaving. As an organisation, the Bandits cannot be bought, for that is akin to slavery, though individual members are welcome to make what contracts they will. The redistribution of wealth Many have said that the Talons are the ‘people’s army’, and they’re not far from the truth. The movement began with a peasant uprising, when too much advantage was taken by a Lord over his subjects; that spirit of frustration with the noble classes still remains at the core of Bandit psychology. When one is taking the dues of many, the Bandits will be there to take them back. With this in mind, the Bandits as an organisation see wealth as transitory, and don’t seek to amass gold or treasure; they use what they need and then redistribute or destroy the rest. Your story begins Your task is to write a short story (anything from half a page to a novel) detailing the trial Thetis sets for your character. If you wish to join the bandits, you usually end up in the Black Talon forest in two ways: *By accident (not looking for the bandits) *On purpose (looking for them) Once in the forest, you are tested. The great thing about this initiation is that it can be anything you'd like it to be, though it needs to be significant and really get down to what your character is about. Thetis is powerful; she can conjure anything you, as a writer, can imagine: is it a trial by combat, a situation where your character has to make a moral choice, a physical endurance test? What is she trying to test: honesty, compassion, valor, justice, sacrifice, honor, spirituality, humility? Something else? If your character passes the test they find their way into the Black Talon camp, where they are greeted by a group who understand what they've been through. If they fail (unlikely since you're writing the story), the forest consumes them.